Single Pass Roll-to-Roll

Xeikon unveils its first UV inkjet digital press ‘Panther’

Xeikon has made a strategic move with the addition of Panther technology, a UV inkjet platform that complements its dry toner digital label press portfolio.

Visitors to the Xeikon Café Packaging Innovations 2017, held 28-31 March, witnessed the unveiling of Xeikon’s new PX3000 UV inkjet digital label press. This new press, based on Xeikon’s Panther UV inkjet technology, complements the Xeikon 3000 series and Xeikon CX3 label presses based on dry toner technology, bolstering the extensive range of digital printing solutions available through Xeikon for the label market.

Labels & Labeling is attending Xeikon Café this week. Full coverage of the launch will be in a future issue of the magazine.

‘The Xeikon PX3000, based on our newly developed Panther UV inkjet technology and operating PantherCure UV ink, is engineered with the requirements of the label market and its end-users in mind,’ said Jeroen Van Bauwel, Xeikon’s director product management. ‘The Xeikon PX3000 is complementary to our dry toner presses and the choice of the label converter will be based on the end-use markets such as food, health and beauty, industrial, wine and spirits, pharma, and beverage, they serve. Each of those markets have their specific needs — there is no one-size-fits-all.’

He continued: ‘Inkjet and electrophotography are different technologies, each with pros and cons, and the choice is end-user dependent. We see UV inkjet as a complementary offering that addresses customer needs, for example, in strong durability, extra glossy effects and scratch-resistance results, while recognizing the advantages of dry toner in other applications where high print quality, food safety and compatibility with challenging substrates such as natural paper are key.’

Filip Weymans, VP of marketing for Xeikon, added: ‘By offering a broad, complementary portfolio in the digital space with both dry toner and UV inkjet solutions, backed by a dedicated worldwide sales and service organization, Xeikon is ideally positioned to serve as a single source and advise converters and brands in the best and most efficient way.’

The new press features a web width of 330 mm (13in), and a maximum speed of 50 m/min (164 ft/min). Color configuration is CMYK plus white, with a print quality of 600×600 dpi. Substrates can range from self-adhesive media with facestocks including paper, PVC, PP, PET and PE.

‘Digital printing is more than speed and output,’ Van Bauwel said. ‘It is about producing a numerous number of jobs in the most effective and efficient way, which is why workflow is so crucial — something we can’t emphasis enough. The X-800 workflow is therefore a key differentiator of the Xeikon PX3000. From day one, we have been developing our own workflow technology dedicated to digital printing that allows customers to gain maximum value out of Xeikon’s dry toner, and now UV inkjet, presses. Our customers frequently tell us that by using the X-800 features, such as job optimizer and many others, they can set themselves apart from their competition.’

Xeikon Café Packaging Innovations 2017 was hosted at Xeikon headquarters in Lier, Belgium. Hosted by Xeikon and its Aura partners, Xeikon Café explored the state of the digital printing industry, emerging trends and technologies, and gave expert testimony from industry leaders. Visitors to Labelexpo Europe 25-28 September in Brussels will also have the opportunity to see live demonstrations of Xeikon’s new UV inkjet label press in hall 5 on stand C29. Commercial availability of the new Xeikon PX3000 UV inkjet press is scheduled for October 2017.

Xaar Launches the All New Xaar 1002 GS6 printhead for UV applications

​ ​Xaar, the world’s leading inkjet technology specialist, is pleased to announce the launch of the All New Xaar 1002 GS6 for UV applications. This next generation printhead redefines the standard in single-pass printing, delivering exceptional print quality and productivity to manufacturers worldwide.

The Xaar 1002 GS6 has been developed and optimised for a wide range of UV applications; these include labels, laminates, direct-to-shape, packaging and other types of product decoration, where product quality and industrial levels of reliability are paramount.

The All New Xaar 1002 GS6 incorporates multiple new technology features, drawing on Xaar’s many years’ experience in a number of industry sectors, giving improved drop volume uniformity and drop placement accuracy for an even higher quality printed image. Featuring 1000 Optimised Geometry nozzles, the Xaar 1002 GS6 can jet and place drops with the highest precision on the market. As a result this new printhead produces high resolution text and images with smooth tones demanded by manufacturers globally.

A key feature of the All New Xaar 1002 is its ability to print heavily pigmented hig​h opacity white inks and high viscosity varnishes extremely reliably, enabled by Xaar’s patented ink recirculation technology, TF Technology™. Therefore it is the ideal printhead for a wide range of UV applications including labels and printing onto clear packaging for bottles, where opaque backup whites and high build spot varnishes are essential.The All New Xaar 1002 GS6 printhead builds on the outstanding success of the market-leading Xaar 1001 GS6 which has had a major impact on both printing and manufacturing industries world-wide, and is universally recognised as the leading industrial inkjet printhead. Manufacturers choose Xaar technology for its overall exceptional performance and unrivalled reliability which is delivered by Xaar’s TF Technology™ combined with the Hybrid Side-Shooter™ architecture; this is the only true ink recirculation system which ensures maximum production uptime. Customer ‘ease of use’ has also been enhanced by an improvement to the customer electronic interface and by enabling a reduction in the set up time required.

The Xaar 1002 GS6 is a highly versatile printhead. It is capable of handling a wide range of fluids and viscosity ranges and is backwards compatible with the Xaar 1001 GS6. Also available alongside the Xaar 1002 GS6 is a range of systems components – including the new slimline HPC3, the XUSB and Xaar Hydra. These have been designed for easy configuration, optimisation and integration to reduce time to market. In addition, the improved uniformity of the Xaar 1002 GS6 allows manufacturers to configure narrow web and wide-format printers faster and more easily. Finally, as the Xaar 1002 GS6 is fully compatible with Xaar 1001 GS6-enabled printers, users can easily upgrade whenever they wish and experience the benefits immediately.

“The original Xaar 1001 GS6 with its unique recirculating TF Technology™ kick started the digital inkjet revolution in the label, direct-to-shape and laminate sectors. The All New Xaar 1002 GS6, incorporating the very latest patented* technology, defines the next generation of printhead, setting the levels of quality and performance available to manufacturers in a variety of industries,” says Richard Barham, Sales and Marketing Director, Xaar. “Our commitment to investing 12% of our revenue in R&D means that we will continue to deliver the very best inkjet technology to manufacturers globally, ensuring they benefit from a competitive advantage and a maximum return on their investment.”

Systems featuring the All New Xaar 1002 GS6 printhead are available now from a number of Original Equipment Manufacturers including Autobond, Durst, EFI, FFEI, Hymmen, INX Digital, KHS, Krones, Sacmi, SPG Prints and Till Engineering.

November 15, Olomouc, Czech Republic -Grapo Technologies, manufacturers of innovative, high-productivity wide format hybrid and flatbed UV printing machines, today announced their recent acquisition by a group of private investors. This acquisition will enable the company to significantly strengthen their position in the European wide format print market.

The new company will be named SigmaJet. Branislav Oravec, previously Sales and Marketing Director of Grapo Technologies, has been appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Alongside Mr Oravec, the company and its owner investment group have put in place a strong international management team with considerable experience in sales, marketing, manufacturing and customer service. To support their strategy, the group is making significant investments in areas of manufacturing, R&D, training and customer support and is opening a new state-of the-art demonstration facility in Bratislava, Slovakia, in January 2012.

“We are very excited about the new opportunities that this partnership is presenting to us, it marks the start of a new and exciting chapter for SigmaJet”, said Branislav Oravec. “The wide format print markets are experiencing phenomenal growth, and thanks to the support of our new investment team we will be able to increase our reach and value-offering. Our strategy is to continue to provide our customers with high-quality, high-performance wide format solutions that address the constantly-evolving demands of the inkjet printing market.”

SigmaJet’s product range includes the GEMINI printer, a unique flatbed machine that offers outstanding resolution (6pl) and tonal accuracy thanks to its use of the award-winning XAAR 1001 inkjet printhead. Using the XAAR printhead allows the GEMINI to deliver best-in-class ink management, superior reliability, reduced maintenance and the support of white ink printing. The printer offers outstanding value for money and is incredibly versatile with the ability to print on numerous substrates including metal, glass, wood and ceramic tiles.

For additional information on SigmaJet, their new strategy or the GEMINI printer please contact Branislav Oravec at boravec@grapo.com. To register interest in visiting SigmaJet’s new facility in 2012, please email info@grapo.com.